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Samarkand
Samarkand is a country to the east of Albion. It has not been featured in any of the Fable games to date, and was first referenced by name in Fable II. It is featured as a main setting of the novel Fable: Edge of the World. Geography Samarkand is largely a desert country. Mountains surround the desert on the west, north and east sides, while the south is bordered by the sea. The main port town on the south coast is Fairwinds, located in the centre of the coastline. From here, the Great Trade Road arcs away to the west before curving around to the Samarkandian capital Zahadar in the northeast. A number of oasis villages can be found in the desert, mostly concentrated near the route of the Great Trade Road. One of the more sizeable ones is Sweetwater Trees, situated just to the south of the buried city of Asur-keh-la. In the eastern mountains to the south of Zahadar lies a fertile valley tended by a group of warrior monks. Water is scarce in the desert, but there exist a few natural and man-made sources of hydration. Southeast of Sweetwater Trees lies Sky Blue Lake, and the desert is dotted with kannats - collections of underground wells connected by channels. The Cave of a Thousand Guardians, a popular spiritual resting place, is also said to contain a spring that never runs dry. Weapons of Samarkand *Gunpowder, discovered in the Eastern Hills of Samarkand. *Katanas, imported from the hills of Eastern Samarkand, where they are forged by warrior monks. *The Master Axe, a devastating battle axe which was the favored weapon of the elite guard of Lord Onish. *The Rising Sun, a cleaver which had belonged to Roamer. *The Daichi, a legendary katana which had belonged to Zuna Daichi. Notable People from Samarkand *Garth *Lord Onish *Roamer *Zuna Daichi Influences Little is known about Samarkand, aside from it being a region outside of Albion. Here follow the most likely real world influences: Silk Road Very likely is the theory that it is based on the Silk Road cities in the Middle-East; Samarkand is a real world Silk Road city. Also in the Spire Reaver describes it as having "exotic substances" and "uninhibited people", although Garth immediately denies this saying that it is "nothing like that". The Silk Road was the main trade route for Europe with China before the Portuguese found the sea route, and many riches like gunpowder travelled through there. This made the Arabs who lived there very rich. Christie Golden, author of Fable: Edge of the World, has also stated that the Silk Road formed a major part of her own research when writing the novel. East Asia Samarkand also seems to have a cultural influence based on East Asia, and more specifically China and Japan. This theory is supported by the fact that the katana and gunpowder were invented there. Trivia *Samarkand is actually the second-largest city in Uzbekistan and the capital of Samarqand Province. The city is most noted for its central position on the Silk Road between China and the West, and for being an Islamic centre for scholarly study. It is listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO. *The western reaches of Samarkand is where Garth is from. *In the original Fable, katanas are stated to come from the "western lands". In Fable II they are stated to have been made in Eastern Samarkand. This led to a theory that put Samarkand west of Albion, along with the Cities of the West. The East Samarkand shores would be the first place travelers from Albion would reach in that case. **However, Theresa's dialogue in Fable: The Journey directly states that Samarkand is in the east. *Reaver in his autobiography Reaver on Reaver describes Samarkand as a place of very hot nights and sober people. *It was thought both Thunder and Whisper were born in Samarkand, but this is merely speculatory and all the evidence we are given is that they hail from the South Islands. *Occasionally, in Fable III, you can hear a child say "Have you ever been to Samarkand? I hear it's really interesting!" Category:Locations Category:Unseen Locations Category:Fable: Edge of the World